Deals: Week of December 17, 2012

By Rachel Deahl
|

Dec 17, 2012

Hendrix Speaks at BloomsburyAnton Mueller at Bloomsbury has acquired a book about Jimi Hendrix, which the house says comes from the deceased rock legend himself. Mueller took world English rights to Starting at Zero: Jimi Hendrix’s Own Story from agent Nat Sobel at Sobel Weber (working with Caspian Dennis at Abner Stein). The book, which has been pieced together by Hendrix’s friend and producer, Alan Douglas, along with editor Peter Neal, is, Bloomsbury said, culled from extensive material created by Hendrix, ranging from personal writings to interviews. Starting at Zero is scheduled for winter 2014.

Gould Sells Novel to FSG Former Gawker blogger Emily Gould sold her debut novel, Friendship, to Miranda Popkey at Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Melissa Flashman at Trident Media Group represented Gould in the North American rights deal. Gould previously published an essay collection (And the Heart Says Whatever; Free Press, 2010) and co-wrote one YA book. The novel, Flashman said, is about “an eventful year” in the lives of two best friends, both 30, who find their friendship is being tested as they get older.

Scribner to ‘Lie’ for KestinPaul Whitlatch at Scribner pre-empted North American rights to Hesh Kestin’s thriller, The Lie, from Ellen Levine at Trident Media Group. The novel follows an Israeli human rights lawyer whose core beliefs are tested when her son is taken hostage by Hezbollah. Kestin worked for Forbes as a European correspondent and his first novel, The Iron Will of Shoeshine Cats, was published by the indie press Dzanc in 2009. That book received a glowing plug from Stephen King, who said it “just may be the best book you never read.”

Harlequin Closes Double In the first of two acquisitions at Harlequin last week, Tara Parsons, executive editor at the house’s flagship imprint, took world rights to Jeaniene Frost’s new trilogy, Realm Walker. Harlequin is categorizing the series as “new adult/older YA”; it follows a young woman who, the publisher explained, “discovers that she’s the last member of an ancient line with an unwanted destiny.” Nancy Yost, at Nancy Yost Literary, represented Frost, who writes the urban fantasy romance series, the Night Huntress, for Avon. At Harlequin, Margo Lipschultz will be editing Realm Walker. In the second deal, Angela James at Carina Press took world rights to Christine D’Abo’s choose your own adventure–style erotica book, Choose Your Shot, which will be released in e-, with the possibility of a later print edition. The title, set for fall 2013, is 65,000 words and allows readers to select the story line they would like to follow. D’Abo currently writes a line for Carina featuring a BDSM club called Maverick’s, which will be the setting of this title. (In the book, readers can choose different experiences for the heroine throughout the club.) D’Abo did not use an agent in the sale.

Atria Does Backlist/Frontlist Deal with Miller Self-published romance author Raine Miller has inked a three-book deal with Simon & Schuster’s Atria imprint. Through the deal, Atria has released its own digital editions of the first two titles in Miller’s Naked series—Naked and All In—which she originally released on her own. The titles were published by Atria as e-books on December 12, and trade paperback editions are scheduled to follow. The third book in the deal, Eyes Wide Open, has not yet been released and is scheduled from Atria in spring 2013. Atria v-p and senior editor Joanna Castillo took world rights from Jane Dystel at Dystel & Goderich Literary Management. Atria said that since Naked came out on August 25, it has sold more than 150,000 copies in digital, while All In, released on November 9, has sold 120,000 copies.

A version of this article appeared in the 12/17/2012 issue of Publishers Weekly under the headline: Deals: Week of December 17, 2012

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